HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0022.100 2004-2006
My name is Lei Taft and I have made my home on the Big Island foi 36 years. I have
owned, bred, trained and exhibited multiple Golden Retrievers fio plus }}engS~~}} of time and
have also had multiple cats and livestock. As current president o~tlie ®rchifl'~~la~d bog
Fancier Club and a member of the Hilo Obedience Training Club,. it is my responsibility
to speak for the minority that this bill has clearly neglected to aekiriowledge.
It needs to be stated that the clubs I represent are non-profit organizations and the trainers
aze volunteers. There is no personal agenda aside from truly promoting responsible dog
ownership for the love of dogs.
I am an advocate of animal control and am not opposed to the intent of Bi114, Draft 6.
However, the specific content of this bill needs further analysis and refinement. It is
poorly written, short sighted, and lacks basic understanding of responsible dog ownership
and animals in general. In its ignorance it has failed to exempt the training of a dog from
the six foot lead requirement. You cannot advocate responsible dog ownership while at
the same time prevent it from happening.
In simpler language, you cannot train a dog without proofing the reliability of the
training. Proofing requires training off lead. Should this bill pass, you will prevent the
trainers of seazch and rescue, cadaver dogs, therapy dogs, and obedience dogs from
training legally on the Big Island. In order to accomplish this high caliber of training a
dog must be let off leash under the supervision of a trainer. While training can occur on
one's own private property, again, proofing must occur in azeas with distractions. You
cannot expect these dogs to perform in real life situations unless they aze exposed to
multiple environments and situations that one's backyazd cannot provide, thus
necessitating training in various locations.
You need to exempt the training of dogs from this six foot lead requirement, along with
licensed events that title them. A trained dog is a safe dog. An untrained dog on a six
foot lead is not necessarily safe or under control.
Another consideration is that while you have exempted hunters from the six foot lead
requirement, you have not mentioned herding dogs which are used extensively on the Big
Island. There have been many times when the use of dogs has been a necessary aid in
gathering livestock that have gotten out of a fence, quite often on a county road. Herding
dogs cannot perform their job on a six foot lead on private property either.
While on the subject of livestock, that brings to mind Section 4-16 which addresses noisy
dogs. Bi114, Draft 6 does not acknowledge that livestock can be even noisier or more of
a nuisance than bazking dogs. This discrimination needs to be reevaluated. When
ranchers are weaning calves the noise level is intense and carries on for hours, even days.
A dog bazking for ten minutes pales by comparison.
For whatever reason the license fees need to be raised is not an issue I want to contend
with at this time. However, there is a problem with dog owners carrying the load of the
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spay/neuter fund. Does this mean that dog owners would then be subsidizing the
spay/neuter of cats since cats are exempt from licensing?
While I have highlighted only a few of the problems of Bi114, Draft 6, I urge you to look
at the Honolulu and even Maui animal control ordinances as a template. They are written
with a higher understanding of living harmoniously with animals. Please council
members, do not vote to pass Bi114, Draft 6. Take the time to revise and refine the
wording of it to make it a good law for all of us.
Thank you for allowing me this time to voice my opinion. Please accept these petition
signatures acquired at our last obedience training class, all in opposition of this bill.
Lei Taft
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